Guest post by Dane Alexander.
I remember sitting in the studio waiting room as a young lad, sooo bored… feeling like some sort of appendage to my family. Always waiting for my older sister to finish dance class. Until one day, Mum asked if I wanted to have a go.
I was 7. And it changed my life!
You see, I was such a shy kid at school, but on the stage I felt truly alive. 10 people, 100 people, 10 000 people in the audience – it didn’t matter. I felt who I was meant to be. Like I wasn’t just a tagalong anymore. I had an identity. A purpose. And a lot of fun.
If your son is tired of sitting in the studio waiting room, or perhaps just loves to boogie on down at home, this article is for you.
Why you should enrol your son in a dance class today
There are so many benefits to boys learning dance. Here are just seven to get you started.
1. Focus
It’s no secret that young boys are easily distracted. They’re notorious for it. Dancing can help. The dance process, from technique and exercises, to learning steps, to performing a routine, can teach boys to focus and develop discipline. But they won’t even realise it in amongst all the fun.
What’s more, discipline and focus are vital skills for study, career, and the many other challenges life will bring.
2. Coordination, strength and agility
Dancing is an amazing workout. It keeps you in great condition, is good for posture, and is excellent for building core strength. Not only does dancing keep you in shape for more dancing, it is also helps you stay fit and strong for other sports.
In fact, it’s not uncommon for elite footballers to attend ballet classes. Have you seen how high they jump? About as high as dancers!
3. Confidence and self-esteem
Dancers face challenges at every turn. Whether it be learning a new technique, performing to an audience, or going for an audition, there is always a challenge to overcome.
The amazing thing is that these challenges are faced head on. Goals are reached. And when that happens, confidence and self-esteem receive a healthy boost.
It takes a lot to stand in front of a crowd. It takes even more to dance in front of one. Face this challenge, and imagine what else can be achieved.
4. Numerous health benefits
Dancing helps develop strong bones, reducing the risk of osteoporosis, and other related problems later in life. Furthermore, increased aerobic fitness can help with weight management, as well as improved condition of the heart and lungs.
Not to mention increased self-esteem, social skills, brain function, and all-round better mental health.
Dancing was actually the cure for my own childhood asthma. Thanks, Mum!
5. Creativity and self-expression
Dance is a fantastic outlet for creativity, and can even assist in expressing emotions that can sometimes be difficult to put into words. Dance is quite the language.
And if your son is anything like I was – always tapping on something, unable to keep still, you might find dance to be a really positive place for him to channel all that bundled-up creative energy.
6. Amazing opportunities
With increased confidence comes opportunity. This is very true of dance kids, where it’s quite common to branch out into film and TV work, modelling, and theatre. And, because there are fewer boys than girls, there are plenty of opportunities out there for a talented young lad.
As a 12-year-old, doing a few tv commercials, dance and modelling gigs enabled me to shout Mum and I to a ski trip in Canada. Why not, eh? Sure beats sitting on the couch watching Netflix.
7. Dancing is really cool
Well, if you’re a film buff like me, you’ll remember some of the most iconic scenes in history being dance scenes – Singin’ In the Rain, Pulp Fiction, Footloose.
And it’s so great to see the likes of La La Land, Guardians Of The Galaxy (haha), and shows like So You Think You Can Dance, and Dancing with the Stars, keeping dance alive in mainstream culture.
Dancing doesn’t have the stigma it once did. If it’s cool enough for superheroes and footballers, it’s probably cool enough for your son. Dancing is awesome!
Final thoughts
Dancing provided me with so many adventures and opportunities. It gave me the confidence to tackle challenges at school, uni, professionally, and in day-to-day life. And I made life-long friends (guess who used to dance with Miss Kaitlin? haha).
Those formative years at the dance studio were really important. I’m sure glad I said “yes” all those years ago.
So, whether your son is bored in the studio waiting room, or perhaps, like me, just can’t stop tapping on the table and moving around, get him into a dance class. The benefits will stay with him for life.
Bayside Dance teaches a range of styles, including ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, acrobatics, and musical theatre. The studio also offers boys-only classes that focus on strength, energy, and building confidence through fun hip hop-based choreography.
Enrol here or contact for more information.
Author: Dane Alexander
Dane Alexander is a copywriter, content marketer, and proud Bayside Dance parent. He helps businesses entice and engage their audience using compelling copywriting and SEO. You can find him in the garden, watching sci-fi, or at Dane Alexander Copywriter.
